Complete guide to Seiko Shogun

The SBDC007 automatic diver’s watch, nicknamed Shogun by enthusiasts, first appeared in Seiko catalogs in 2008, along with its orange variant SBDC009.

The 44mm case, very light since it’s made of titanium, housed the caliber 6R15, a robust and reliable Seiko classic that we find in several watches of this range, with a power reserve of 50 hours, hacking and manual winding functions.

In the second generation, introduced in 2020, the movement is upgraded to the superior 6R35, with 70 hours of power reserve.

The origin of the nickname Shogun

Until recently the origin and motivations of the nickname Shogun, a title reserved for military dictators in ancient Japan, were not completely clear to me, but thanks to the Youtube channel “Escapement & Watch” I have removed all doubts.

We know that most of the nicknames of Seiko watches are the result of the community of fans, and even in this case it all comes from a discussion on the Watchuseek.com website.

A few months after the launch of the reference SBDC007, the user Cubbiepants leaves a message containing these words: “Considering it’s full battle armor, crisper lines and the fact that it always seems to be under attack, I will be calling it the SHOGUN!”.

After this comment, other users started calling the watch “Shogun”, and the nickname spread to become practically official, to the point of being adopted by Seiko itself.

The message from an enthusiast who gave rise to the nickname Shogun.

First generation of Seiko Shogun

As mentioned at the outset, the first Shogun series was introduced by Seiko in 2008 with SBDC007 and SBDC009 references, titanium case and caliber 6R15.

Black Shogun

Ref: SBDC007 (6R15-01D0)
Caliber: 6R15
Year: 2008

Titanium case 44mm, Hardlex crystal, screw-down crown, 23 jewels, 50 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.

Orange Shogun

Ref: SBDC009 (6R15-01D0)
Caliber: 6R15
Year: 2008

Titanium case 44mm, Hardlex crystal, screw-down crown, 23 jewels, 50 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.

Black Shogun Prospex

Ref: SBDC029 (6R15-01D0)
Caliber: 6R15
Year: 2015

Titanium case 44mm, Hardlex crystal, screw-down crown, 23 jewels, 50 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.

Note: this version sees the introduction of the Prospex logo on the dial, but in fact all the features seem unchanged compared to the reference SBDC007.

Limited Editions of the first generation

As was the case for other series, Seiko has released some limited editions of the Shogun exclusively for Thailand.

Zimbe Shogun

Ref: SPB057 (6R15-03Y0)
Caliber: 6R15
Year: 2017
Limited edition of 456 pieces.

Titanium case 44mm, sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, 23 jewels, 50 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.

Zimbe Red Shogun

Ref: SPB099 (6R15-04N0)
Caliber: 6R15
Year: 2019
Limited edition of 500 pieces.

Titanium case 44mm, sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, 23 jewels, 50 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.

Second generation of Seiko Shogun

With the second generation some improvements are introduced in materials, finishes and, above all, in the movement which is updated to the 6R35.

Black Shogun 2nd Gen.

Ref: SBDC129 (6R35-01F0)
Caliber: 6R35
Year: 2020

Titanium case 44mm, sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, 24 jewels, 70 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.

White Shogun 2nd Gen.

Ref: SBDC131 (6R35-01F0)
Caliber: 6R35
Year: 2020

Titanium case 44mm, sapphire crystal, screw-down crown, 24 jewels, 70 hours of power reserve, 21.600 bph, manual winding, hacking.

Summary of the models

First generation

NicknameRefOther Ref.MC Ref.CaliberLimited
Black ShogunSBDC007SBDC007J, SBDC007J16R15-01D06R15No
Orange ShogunSBDC009SBDC009J, SBDC009J16R15-01D06R15No
Black Shogun ProspexSBDC029SBDC029J, SBDC029J16R15-01D06R15No
Zimbe ShogunSPB057SPB057J, SPB057J16R15-03Y06R15Yes (456)
Zimbe Red ShogunSPB099SPB099J, SPB099J16R15-04N06R15Yes (500)

Second generation

NicknameRefOther Ref.MC Ref.CaliberLimited
Black Shogun 2nd Gen.SBDC129SPB189, SPB189J, SPB189J16R35-01F06R35No
White Shogun 2nd Gen.SBDC131SPB191, SPB191J, SPB191J16R35-01F06R35No

Movements

SeriesMovements
First generation6R15
Second generation6R35

Caliber 6R15

Technical sheet

TypeAutomatic
Power reserve50 hours
Bph21.600
Jewels23
Lift Angle53°
Manual windingYes
HackingYes

Caliber 6R35

TypeAutomatic
Power reserve70 hours
Bph21.600
Jewels24
Lift Angle53°
Manual windingYes
HackingYes